Well, ok, so (if I recall correctly (paging maldrul )) a ktisune needs three tails before gaining the ability to hide any of them. So rephrasing, what makes "nine" the simplest possibility out of N - {0, 1, 2}?

I guess one reason Occam's Razor generates mockery (despite its obvious usefulness) is that the definition of "simplicity" can get subjective pretty quickly (except in "simple" cases ha ha). Here for example, in my opinion a kitsune tail model that, by symmetry, allows for both false positives as well as the (already canon) false negatives is "simpler" than one that forbids either.

Well, ok, so (if I recall correctly (paging maldrul )) a ktisune needs three tails before gaining the ability to hide any of them. So rephrasing, what makes "nine" the simplest possibility out of N - {0, 1, 2}?

I guess one reason Occam's Razor generates mockery (despite its obvious usefulness) is that the definition of "simplicity" can get subjective pretty quickly (except in "simple" cases ha ha). Here for example, in my opinion a kitsune tail model that, by symmetry, allows for both false positives as well as the (already canon) false negatives is "simpler" than one that forbids either.

It's not the number of tails which is the issue here. It's that there ARE tails. As for the number, Invisigoth had counted 9 tails in the first rendition of a tailed Megumi. For this current picture, sans word bubbles, there are about 5 tails shown: 4 to the right of her and one facing roughly upwards if I recall correctly. Since symmetry is the usual way to go for biological organisms (remember, biologist here), you add 4 more to the left of her and you get NINE.

Remember though, the real issue here is that are tails. Number of tails can always be debated (we really need to see ALL of them again to be sure how many there are).

Junko appears to have learned common "survive-the-rapist" defensive martial artist skills every female (and male) should learn (I've seen the class). Ashe, however, is definitely familiar with pro wrestling.

@gouryg: I think the twitch broadcast might have revealed the pants, but they're mostly hidden by Junko's limb anyway.

(resists the urge to draw the rest of that frame showing all of Junko above the top of that frame as an incentive to encourage $10 Patreons. Behave, fred, behave)

I'll take you up on that offer. My copies of Chibi Vampie finally arrived from Amazon and I was feeling frisky, noticed how close you were to 2k a month on Patreon, and the rewards were worth every penny.

I've only been attending the streams for a while now (when I can) but I've followed the comic since about 2006 and I love what you do Fred, keep it up.

I'll take you up on that offer. My copies of Chibi Vampie finally arrived from Amazon and I was feeling frisky, noticed how close you were to 2k a month on Patreon, and the rewards were worth every penny.

Aww. Contradicting myself entirely, I wanted Megumi to be a kitsune. First she’s stuck being unloved, then she’s deprived of tails and magic...boo.

That said, please let this scene end already...

Sorry, that all sounded really entitled. I’m just whining, please don’t take it seriously.

Honestly, if Megumi is an unexpressed nine tailed fox which is entirely plausible within Fred's kitsune mythos then there'd be a huge impact on story direction.

Perhaps this is what is happening or maybe Fred just likes yanking the readers tails

Invisigoth, I've been thinking about this situation and as much as I would like for Megumi to be a latent nine-tail, there might be an alternative explanation to this situation that might not require her to be an actual tailed kitsune. You appear to know more about the kitsune mythos in this comic than some of us so perhaps you could confirm if this is a possibility. Could she possibly be POSSESSED by a nine-tail? The tails and ears are quite real. The have appeared several times now. The only other explanation I can come up with if she is not a kitsune is that those tails and ears are momentary manifestations of her possession. Perhaps, being related to the full blooded kitsune makes her rather more susceptable to being possessed by one. Damn, I hate giving the writer an out for this. I really would like to see Megumi as a full kitsune (would make for some hilarious hijinks). However, I can't discount this other possibility as a possible reason for the manifestations.